Base for use in the manufacture of heavy oils and greases



Patented Dec. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BASE FOR :USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HEAVY OILS AND GREASES Alexander Horwitz, New York, N. Y.

-- No Drawing. Application April 2, 1931 Serial No. 527,360

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a base for use in the manufacture of heavy oils or greases; and the object of the invention is to providea base of the class specified, which will produce a product 5 of the class referred to having highly viscous and stringy characteristics; a further object being to provide a base of the class specified, which may be readily combined or compounded with suitable mineral oils in the production of a heavy oil or grease and wherein the base may be distributed in the form of a powdered or granular fully described and claimed.

My invention consists in combining or compounding a metallic, water insoluble soap with glycerine, preferably chemically pure. If desired, I may add in the compounding of the base, an oil having relatively high lubricating value, such as sperm oil or castor oil, or a compound of same, the latter being mixed with the glycerine in compounding with the metallic soap.

It will be understood that the amount of glyc- 3 erine employed as well as added oil, if employed, will be varied to suit the particular grade and characteristics of the mineral oil with which the base is compounded in forming the heavy lubricating oil or grease, and also depending upon the desired characteristics of the resulting product, it being understood that the lubricating oil or grease made from the base may be produced in diiferent grades or qualities.

In the desire to produce products of this class having high lubricating value as well as viscosity and the desired stringy characteristics, when the base is combined with mineral oils of a high viscosity and lubricating value, a relatively small amount of the base will be necessaryand with lower viscosity oils, a higher percentage of the base, or the addition of sperm oil or castor oil will be necessary when extra lubrication is desirable. As one example of producing my improved base, I add or compound approximately 5% of glycerine, preferably chemically pure, to 95% of a metallic soap, such as aluminum stearate. I

In producing the base, 5% of glycerine is first stirred thoroughly with about 10% of the aluminum stearate, and after thoroughly combined,

the remainder of the aluminum stearate is gradually added, while the mass is constantly stirred, the resulting product resembling a powdered or granular base which may be packed and shipped to oil or grease makers, and combined or com- 0 pounded with a mineral oil as later set forth.

Instead of proceeding as above, I may first combine the glycerine with about 20% of water to produce a larger liquid volume, facilitating the initial introduction of a greater amount of the aluminum stearate, for example, about 50%, and the quicker mixing or compounding of the stearate with the glycerine. After being thoroughlycompounded, the resultant mass may be subjected to'heat at about 180 to 190 Fahrenheit, the mass being stirred or agitated to prevent melting of thealuminum stearate, and this operation continues until the water initially introduced in compounding, is evaporated.

When it is desired to add lubricating value to the base to increase the lubricating value of the resulting oil or grease made from the base, I preferably incorporate in the base, an oil or oils of highv lubricating value, such for example as sperm oil or castor oil. The percentage of such 30 oil introduced will depend largely upon the results desired in the finished product made from the base. As one example, I compound with 5% glycerine, 12% sperm oil and 8% castor oil, and to this compound 75% of metallic soap such as aluminum stearate introduced while thoroughly stirring the product, and the resulting base produced from this compounding will be of a granular or powdered character having slight greasy or oily characteristics.

In connection with the production of the bases above referred to, it will be understood that if desired, the base may be produced in the form of a jelly-like mass by incorporating with the base in its compounding, a sufficient amount of a mineral oil to produce the jelly-like product. The advantage of producing the jelly-like product is that it simplifies the production of the resulting oil or grease by the oil or grease maker, it being understood that a lesser amount of the mineral oil is required in theproduction of the desired product, and such mineral oil may be more readily compounded with the jelly base by reason of the fact that the melting point of the jellylike base is lower than the powdered or granular base.

In the production of a predetermined amount of heavy oil or grease from the powdered base, approximately 3% or more of the base is incorporated with the computed amount of ofl or 110 grease to be produced in the following manner. The desired percentage of base is first compounded with about one third of the mineral oil, subjecting the same to heat at about 220 Fahrenheit, thoroughly and continuously stirring the mass in this operation until the base is dissolved in the oil and the resulting product is clear, after which e balance of the two thirds of the oil is slowly ded, while continuing to stir the mass until all of the oil has been thoroughly incorporated and the resulting product is clear. Depending upon the amount of mineral oil and the percentage of the base incorporated therein, the resulting product will resemble a very heavy oil or a grease,'both of which products will be of a stringy consistency.

A product produced according to my invention will possess substantially constant viscosity and will be found to be of exceeding value as a lubricant for apparatus or machinery of various kinds and classes, wherein the rotating or reciprocating parts subjected to the lubricant will draw or carry the lubricant with the rotating or reciprocating element, by virtue of the viscous or stringy characteristics of the oil, thus insuring better lubrication.

In referring to the stringy characteristics of my product, by this I mean, that in dipping into a mass of the heavy oil or grease and attempting to remove a portion of the mass, a heavy stringlike body will join the initial mass with that portion thereof which is removed, and this body, while still intact with both the mass and the removed portion of the mass may be engaged between two fingers of the hand and stretched laterally. Itwill be understood at this time, that the degree of stringy characteristics to the resulting, heavy oil or grease may be varied to suit specific requirements.

It will be understood that my invention is not limited to the various proportions or characteristics of the ingredients herein set forth, and from experience, I have found that as low as 1% of glycerine may be incorporated with a metallic soap, such as aluminum stearate, to produce a base which when compounded with a mineral oil, will produce a viscous stringy product. It will also be apparent that I may use as low as one half of 1% of the base in compounding with mineral oil, to increase the viscosity of such oil. Various other changes in and modifications of the invention herein set forth may be made within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A base of the class described produced in compounding approximately 95% of aluminum stearate with 5% of glycerine.

2. A base of the class described produced in compounding approximately of aluminum stearate with 5% of glycerine including 12% sperm oil and 8% castor oil.

3. A base for producing a lubricant having viscous, stringy characteristics comprising aluminum stearate with which is compounded glycerine in substantially the proportions of 75% of aluminum stearate and 5% of glycerine.

4. A grease base of the class described comprising aluminum stearate with which is compounded glycerine substantially in the proportions 95% v 

